Tonight in San Jose the US could take a huge step towards sealing qualification to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, provided they don’t lose to Costa Rica (10 pm ET, beIN Sport).

After Gold Cup success this summer with ‘reserve’ squad, friendly victories in Europe with another set of players and plenty of WC qualifying success of late, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann once again has a real selection dilemma.

Following second half success in the recent friendly win over Bosnia in August, Klinsmann has a plethora of options to choose from in the crucial Hexagonal match.

Will Klinsi go with the tried and tested players who have fared so well in CONCACAF World Cup qualification so far? Or should a few new names appear in the starting lineup down in Central America for the crunch clash with Los Ticos?

We won’t know until later today for sure, but that means there’s still plenty of time for us to speculate who will start.

In my opinion, Klinsmann could go one of three ways with this. Which group of players should he trust to help the US edge even closer to securing World Cup qualification?

European flavor

Following that incredible 4-3 comeback win in Sarajevo, Klinsmann will have seen plenty of positives from many of his Euro contingent. The likes of Hertha Berlin youngster John Brooks and winger Alejandro Bedoya showed that they’re more than ready to be included in the World Cup squad although both could be long shots to grab a starting spot. Jozy Altidore is nursing a hamstring injury while Michael Bradley only featured briefly for AS Roma at the weekend. And another European based player emerging as a major option is AZ Alkmaar striker Aron Johannsson, especially after Altidore picked up a hamstring knock. Could Klinsmann again favor an almost all-European based starting lineup?

Gold Cup goodies

With so many good performances from US players during the triumphant Gold Cup campaign earlier this summer, Klinsmann must surely consider some of his ‘B squad’ players to come in and start for the Yanks in the upcoming qualifiers. Of course the one player that stands out is Landon Donovan, but more on him later. Elsewhere Kyle Beckerman proved he can consistently shore up the midfield in front of the backline, while Michael Parkhurst is a good option at right back and Mix Diskerud proved he’s a great two-way player during the Gold Cup win. Will any feature prominently this evening after dominating the rest of CONCACAF on US soil?

Experience prevails

This is where Donovan comes in to play. Having played in multiple World Cup qualifying campaigns and getting the job done in tricky away venues such as Costa Rica, LD should get the nod in Klinsmann’s side. His experience will be crucial to pass onto the younger MLS contingent in the squad. Other veterans such as Eddie Johnson and Jermaine Jones may also get the nod as Klinsmann looks to safeguard a draw in San Jose. Experience in these situations is key and the aforementioned players have that in abundance.